Flotsam

Title: Flotsam
Illustrator: David Wiesner
Genre: Modern Fantasy

Summary:
This book is actually one of my favorite books that I have chosen to write about on this blog. Flotsam is a picture book that has absolutely no text. The pictures tell a story of a little boy who is at the beach with his family. The little boy is using his day at the beach to look for treasures in the sand. The boy is watching a crab when a wave washes something onto the shore. The boy inches towards the water line to get a closer look at the object. The object turns out to be an old camera. The bot shows his new discovery to his parents and together they discover that the camera has film in it. The little bot takes the film to a nearby store to get it developed. The boys mind is blown when he sees the pictures that were taken with the camera. The photos contain images images of a world that should only exist in fairy tales. There are pictures of mechanical fish, an octopus reading a book, an underwater town, and even starfish that make whales look like ants. The last picture however is the one that interests the little boy the most. It is a picture of a little girl holding a picture of another picture. The little boy uses a magnifying glass to look closer at the picture and he is amazed by what he finds. In the picture he sees that the camera has been in the possession of countless children before him. He then knows what he is supposed to do with the camera. He decides to take a picture of himself holding the picture of the little girl. He then throws the camera back out to sea, where it can be found by another child who is searching for treasure on a beach.

Make the Connection:
This book is a great story for every age group. It is obviously a great book for lower grades because it does not have any text. However I would argue that there is defiantly a place for Flotsam in the upper grades. This book teaches students how big of a role pictures play in the telling of a story. A fun lesson for older students could be having them write their own story based on the pictures in Flotsam.

Rapunzel

Title: Rapunzel
Author: Stephanie Peters
Illustrated: Jeffery Stewart Climmins
Genre: Graphic Novel; Traditional or Folk Literature


Summary:
This graphic novel tells the age old tale of Rapunzel. This story begins with a husband and wife who are expecting their first child. One day the husband gets caught stealing vegetables from their next door neighbor. The neighbor in question also happens to be an evil witch. When the witch catches the husband stealing, she allows him to chose his punishment; either she will kill his wife or he must promise to give the witch his first born. Because the husband loved his wife so much, he promised the witch that she could have his unborn child. On the day of the little girl's birth her parents gave her to the witch. The witch named the child Rapunzel and raised her as her own. One day though, Rapunzel tried to run away from the witch so that she could see the world. The witch caught Rapunzel trying to run away and sentenced her to a solitary life in a secluded tower. The only entrance into the tower was a window far too high for anyone to climb in to. The witch visited Rapunzel in the tower everyday by climbing up Rapunzel's long flowing hair in to the tower's only window. While waiting for the witch's daily visit, Rapunzel decided to pass the time by singing. Her beautiful voice caught the attention of a prince who was passing the tower. The prince watched from a distance while the witch told Rapunzel to "let down her hair." He waited for the witch to leave and then repeated her command so that he too could enter the tower. For the prince and Rapunzel it was love at first sight. The prince promised to visit Rapunzel everyday after the witch left, so that she would no longer be lonely. The prince stayed true to his promise and they were able to keep their love a secret from the witch. However, the secret became too large to hide and the witch found out about the secret affair. The witch devised a plan to punish both Rapunzel and her prince. She...wait what am I telling you all of this for? Read this graphic novel to find out the ending.

Making the Connection:
This graphic novel would be a fun way to introduce fairy tales to your class. I think that students would be pleasantly surprised to find out that a "comic book" could be used in the classroom. The book also has the brief history of the story Rapunzel and some really fun writing prompts included in the back. Below is an example of one of the writing prompts:
* Write a new middle and ending for the Rapunzel story. Imagine that her parents had refused to give the witch their baby. What would happen? Would they have to go into hiding? Would the withc catch them and put all three in the tower?

Swan Lake

Title: Swan Lake
Author: Adele Geras
Illustrator: Emma Chichester
Genre: Traditional or Folk Literature

Summary:
This fairy tale is just one from the series The Magic of Ballet by Adele Geras. The story begins at a magical lake called The Lake of Swans. This lake is home to fair maidens who have been put under the spell of the evil magician Von Rothbart. The most beautiful swan on the lake was once a princess named Odette. One day a prince was walking through the forest and saw a beautiful swan turn into an even more beautiful women. It was love at first sight. He proclaimed his love to the women who called herself Odette. He promised to marry her and kill the evil magician. At this promise the beautiful princess protested. She explained to the Prince that Von Rathbart's spell had bound his life to hers, and his end would mean her death. Read this book to find out about the strength of love and how one is willing to do anything for it.

Ben's Trumpet

Title: Ben's Trumpet
Author and Illustrator: Rachel Isadora
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:
This Caldecott winner transports it's reader back to the swinging 1920's, where jazz was the "cat's meow." Ben is a young boy who has a passion for music, particularly the trumpet. The only problem for Ben is he doesn't actually have an instrument of his own, but that doesn't mean he doesn't practice. Ben takes his imaginary trumpet every where and is always ready to start playing. One day a bunch of young boys ridicule Ben for playing his imaginary instrument. Ben's dream of one day being a musician seems to falter until the observant trumpeter at the local Zig Zag Club takes him under his wing. He puts a real trumpet into Ben's hand for the first time and teaches Ben to never give up on your dreams.

Making the Connection:
This story by Rachel Isadora is a great way to teach students to never give up on their dreams, no matter what type of obstacle may be in their way. Ben's Trumpet is perfect for introducing a history lesson on the 1920's or even a music lesson that covers jazz. This book's black and white illustrations mirror the art deco style that was popular in the 1920's, and is truly one of a kind.

Show Way

Title: Show Way
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Illustrated: Hudson Talbott
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary:
Show Way is a book written by Jacqueline Woodson that tells the story of freedom and the struggle to obtain it. The book begins with Soonie's great-grandmother who was sold into slavery when she was only seven years old. She was sold to a plantation owner in South Carolina and it was there that she learned how to make a Show Way. Show Ways were beautiful quilts that showed those, who were brave enough to make the journey, the road to freedom. When Soonie's great-grandmother had a little girl, she passed down the secret of the Show Way to her. Generations later Soonie, who was born into freedom, taught her own daughters how to make a Show Way.
The magic of the Show Way gave Soonie's family strength through slavery, segregation, and freedom marches. It is a story that tells how the tradition of the Show Way changed so many people's lives. This piece of historical fiction is incredibly moving and is defiantly a must read.

Making the Connection:
This book would be a great tool in the classroom! It makes many links to historical events and would be a great way to teach a lesson on diversity. Show Way would be a great book to use in any grade level. It is the kind of story that can take on a new meaning every time you read it. It is beautifully illustrated by Hudson Talbott and is impossible not to love.

Additional Technology:
I made a brief video that was inspired by this book and it's overall message. I hope you enjoy it!

SHOW WAY